Finding Yourself
by GoneDrake
Summary: Avery has escaped from her city, convinced that the pretty-making operation isn't what it seems. She fleeds into the wild, alone, confident, having one destination in her mind. But a certain discovery will change her life forver: Zane's alive.
1. Introduction

**APOV**

I shot through the bleak darkness, fists clenched, teeth gritted together. It was night, the sky was pitch black, leaving an eerie glow against the outskirts, somber and ominous. The midnight's air clung to my clothes, shivers running down my spine, limbs numb with exhaustion.  
Panting, I jolted to a stiffened halt, dropping to the coniferous floor. It was wet, earthy, the scents clouding my brain. The distinct whirr overhead told me they were close, but to far away to use infrared. The hovercar was meters away, scanning the trees for unnecessary movement.  
I rose to a crouch, brushing the sticky leaves to the ground. It wasn't safe to rise, unable to tell which way they'd decide to travel. The hovercar had come from the east, blocking my path to where I had planned to go, a large model, the lifter fans producing an obvious ammount of noise.  
All I needed was to wait, remain motionless until they secured the area and moved on.  
Fifteen seconds.  
Thirty seconds.  
One minute.  
The whirr grew distant, leaving the forest and heading for the mountains, far from where I was heading. I gave a long side, frozen for a few more seconds, then lept up, breaking into a sharp sprint.  
As soon as I was out of this foliage I'd be safe, stopping to get some much needed rest. I tried to remember the last time I had gotten a good night's sleep, nothing coming to mind.  
Trees blurred past, sweat accumulating on my forehead. My hands whipped at the prickly branches, clearing the way, painful scratches gathering on my skin. Feet threatening to fail, I pushed myself farther, head pounding. A dull weight spread over my body, muscles aching with overexcertion, warning, fighting.  
I felt myself slow, eyelids fluttering repeatedly, aware that I was close. I could make out a solemn clearing, bright compared to the shadows, grass rustling in the cool autumn's wind. Here I could recharge my hoverboard, a method much more sensible then walking.  
Stumbling into the open grounds, I dropped my gear on the edge, taking the board in my arms. With a few flicks of my fingers, it was fully opened, ready to absorb the solar energy. I carefully placed it on the ground, sure to keep it well hidden from any hovercars.  
Morning would come in a few hours, basking everything in a bright light, revealing any hidden strangers. It was better to travel at night and sleep during the day, but tonight wasn't optional.  
I rummaged through my backpack, drowsy, searching for my self heated jacket. Finding it in seconds, I stripped off my damp t shirt, pulling the warm clothing over my body. Cooled sweat would have created more of a chill. I slid into my dark colored sleeping bag, welcoming the haziness that tugged at the corners of my vision, and drifted off into unconciousness.

I woke up to the utter silence of the land, something that I had grown used to over the past few days. Isolation was one thing, but being alone was another. It gave you time to think about things, thoughts coming and going, passing through your head. The only sounds were those of nature, sometimes relaxing, sometimes aggravating, which didn't help you block out those things you desperately wanted to ignore. Emotions could splay out on your face, meaning nothing but what you were feeling at the moment.  
You could feel yourself changing.  
I wiped my face with the palm of my hand, wiping away the dirt that was plastered against my cheeks. The sun was luminous, white clouds drifting across the blue sky. It was probably around mid afternoon, my sense of time pretty good.  
Climbing onto my feet, I changed clothing in an instant, the weather much to hot for a jacket. Luckily my clothes had dried, lifting a little of that grimy feeling that spread over my skin. I packed up my belongings, swiftly gathering my hoverboard and tapping my crash bracelets. There was a metal rail that ran through the brush, something built by the Rusties years ago.  
They had used the rails as a form of transportation, riding in large, unstable vehicles that resembled trains. They hadn't known that later on these trails would serve as hoverpaths for civilians from all around the world. Out of the many things that they had done wrong, they had done this thing right.  
I reached into my knapsack and found my water purifier, producing a large cup of steaming hot water. Pouring the package of SwedeBalls into the cup, I found myself gazing up at the luscious colors overhead. They were soft, gentle, nothing like what my past few weeks had been like. My time here had been more of a thunderstorm, a race against the gloomy skies, my actions being the only things that prevented me from getting struck by lightning.  
Of course, if I hadn't thrown myself into this thunderstorm, then I wouldn't be taking any risks.  
I slowly gripped the cup in my hands, chewing on the swedish meatballs and the pasta. These meals didn't taste nearly as good as those back at home, but it was better then nothing.  
Soon the sun lowered in the sky, sending brilliant splashes of fall colors to warm the horizon.  
It was time to get a move on. I swung my backpack over my shoulders, carrying my hoverboard across the field and into the familiar looking forest. I'd soon meet up with the rails, and be sailing the rest of the way.


	2. Drifting

APOV 2

If anyone ever tells you it's impossible to detatch yourself from your surroundings, don't believe them.  
I could feel the wind slashing my face, pieces of hair flitting across my eyes. I moved at a quick speed, my hoverboard's lifters spinning, releasing a consistent whirr. There was nothing out here but the sun, the trees, and the sky, swirling together to make one big mural of lush colors. I let myself close my eyes, adjusting my feet, and sighed in contentment.  
Hoverboarding had been my passion, a way to disconnect from the world, to free myself from any troublesome worries. It felt so free, to soar above the land, to feel the currents of air brush past your clothing. It was almost a useful form of transportation, especially when you lived in Uglyville.  
Being sixteen, people now might have wondered why I wasn't a Pretty, stunning to look at. But I had never gotten the operation, having discovered the real truth behind it.  
A horrible truth, something that was already detroying the city's regulated system.

It had all started a few weeks ago, before my sixteenth birthday, the time where I was scheduled to be changed. I had been spending my time out by the greenbelt, practicing with my new hoverboard, grateful to have finally bought one that could travel long distances into the wild. I had been flying around, zipping past trees, testing out it's speed limits, when I had seen a flash of color from the corner of my eyes. Spinning around, I had watched as a certain spot in the foliage changed shape, a ripple among the leaves. I had squinted, confused, finally realizing that it was sneak suit, camouflaging in the bush.  
It had moved at a sleek speed, smooth movements, creating a nearly invisible appearence.  
I had thought about staying put, aware that it wasn't any of my business, but curiosity had won in the end.  
Staying low to the ground, I had followed the stranger across the ground, remaining as quiet as possible. I could never understand why they hadn't heard me, being as precise as they were. I had felt out of place, clumsy.  
But what I ended up discovering hit me way off balance.  
It was a boy, around my age, meeting with an Ugly. He had handed him a small pouch, whispers floating in the breeze. It was just a leather satchel, no bigger then my fist, laced with some kind of foreign material, resembling string. That's when I had leaned forward a few inches, eager to get a better look... and went sprawling head over heals into the swishing air.  
Barely managing a cry, the crash bracelets had kicked in, sending sparks on fiery hot pain into my shoulders. I had shuddered, and slowly realized that I had an audience.  
The boys were laughing, sounds of pleasure, moving towards me with a gradual speed. They hadn't seemed frightened, threatened, just casually cruel.  
"Um, hey." I had managed a weak smile, contacting my hoverboard with a tug of the wrists. It soon came flying from the bushes, zipping under my waiting feet.  
"Nice fall." The Ugly boy chuckled, his dark, uneven eyes glittering in the warm sun. "You okay?"  
"Yeah." I nodded, descending. "Just a little trip up."  
"We saw." The first boy, a Pretty, by the looks of it, had grinned, reaching into his ragged pocket. He had an oval face, shiny, light brown hair, and piercing green eyes, as stunning as usual. Yet there was a strange vibe that radiated from his skin... A knowingness. "So, are you here for the cure as well? A distributor, I suppose."  
I had frowned, utterly confused. "Excuse me? The... what?"  
"The cure. You know, for the pretty-mindness?"  
I had slowly registered that that was the cause for their secrecy, the camouflage.  
"Um, yeah, I guess." I had shrugged, eyeing the pouch with a serious caution. It was obviously something drastically important, big enough to have forced the boys to come all this way. "What does it do, again?"  
Giving me a strange look, the Pretty murmured, "From The New Smoke." I had waited for more, but he appeared satisfied, expecting me to finally comprehend.  
"Ah, yes, the... pretty-mindness." I had tested the strange word out in my mouth, frowning. "I'm supposed to... get it. The cure."  
He had nodded, motionning for me to stick out my hand. Carefully opening the sack, he had shook the contents into my palm, stuffing it back into his tattered pocket.  
I had stared at my hand.  
A dozen or so pills sat on the skin.  
"If you want more," The Pretty pointed ahead, a luminous clearing sheltering the distance. "Meet us there, a week from now."  
Then, as if never having existed, the boy had vanished in a blink, his sneak suit blending in the towering darkness, his board looming in the air.

A shudder awoke my thoughts from their drifting haze, a ripple in the strong current that had been pushing me along the track. The metal was soon coming to an end, designed to travel through the unexpected mountain before me, a strange Rusty custom, unfathomable.  
Though as peculiar as it may, the tunnel still rested before me, approaching at a quick speed.  
Sighing, I pulled my hoverboard to a gentle halt, scanning the surrounding wilderness. The mountain stretched on for a few miles, linking with others, raising the terrain in an unpassable climb.  
I was aware of the river to my side, churning water that lurched it swirling waves, threatening to devour anyone who would dare pass. It would be difficult to carry my board, especially without a hint of steel, but I guessed that there wasn't much choice. If I wanted to make it to the other side, I was forced to travel alongside the rapids.


End file.
